First, That I design not herein to meddle with divers lesser collateral questions, as touching the Hebrew points, and Hebrew translations, the various readings, etymological and other differences, which are things much fitter for the schools than for the pulpit. And therefore, Secondly, My main design must be to evince to you, that this book doth contain in it a sufficient revelation of the Divine mind and will, touching what we are to believe and do in order to our glorifying God as our supreme Lord, and our enjoying him, and being happy in him, as our best and only satisfying good. And in order hereunto, the course that will be fittest to take, will in short be this-To state the subject to you that is spoken of under the name of Scriptures, with its universality, "all Scripture:" and then-To prove to you from that subject, the thing affirmed of it, that it is God-breathed, that it is inspired from God, or (which is all one) that it is of divine authority, and that God is the author of it.

the determinations, of the Divine will, so there are other | The Divine Authority of the Scriptures. In order wherethings superadded with respect to the varied state of our to, I shall premise, case: and it is the Divine will that doth determine and constitute what we shall do in this cause of our motion towards him, and consequently what shall be required of us to believe and know that we may so do: and so we do need a signification of his will concerning our faith, and concerning our practice. Though it is true, that the determinations of his will are not (as to the most principal things that do concern us) arbitrary, but they are determinations of his will, according to most excellent wisdom, most perfect judgment, and counsel, for he "worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will;" and so doth will such things concerning us, and in reference to us, as the state of our case doth require and need, and without which there could be no commerce restored, and brought about between him and us. And now, whatsoever will express and signify to us the Divine will about such things as will be our fit and useful rule to guide our motion towards God as our end, we are to seek after. And concerning this, the inquiry must needs be made by every serious person; "What is there that I may look upon, as such a sufficient signification to me, of the Divine will touching my great concernments with him?" Now we have a book among us, that calls itself, and is commonly styled, THE WORD OF GOD. This very book, if it be not the word of God, truly, to call it so, and to attempt and endeavour to spread it as such, is one of the boldest cheats that ever was attempted to be put upon the sons of men. But if really and truly it be so, then it doth our business: you find it doth so, by looking into it; for this is the business it doth profess, and the intent which it doth own and avow, to acquaint us with the Divine will and pleasure in order to our serving and glorifying him, and being finally happy and blessed with him. If it be his will indeed, it w most undoubtedly serve for this end and purpose; that being all the end that professedly it hath to serve. Nothing can so well serve this purpose as his word, if there be such a word: for who can so well tell us what God's will is, as he himself? Sure he best knows his own mind, and what judgment he hath made of things, and which (after him) he will have us to make, in order to our prac

tice.

I might (indeed) have driven the inquiry a great deal further into the principles of religion, upon a merely rational ground, or according to the ducture of natural light; as it was necessary to be done, upon what hath been done already, in representing and evidencing to you an object of religion: which was necessary first to be proved, before we could with any colour of reason go about to assert the divine authority of this book. It would have been a very absurd thing to go about to prove from this book, the authority of it, that there was such a thing, when he which should give that authority, and from whom that authority should be derived, should be unknown to us; or it should be a matter of doubt with any, whether there was such a one, yea or no. But that being once proved and out of question, now it comes in the proper and natural method, and next of course, to be considered: Is there such a revelation from this God, as this book doth pretend to? hath it really that divine stamp upon it from him, which by those who do profess and own themselves Chris tians, it is apprehended to have? And if that can be found, it supersedes any need of following the line of natural light (as such) further; because there is nothing more now to be discovered that way, which is not more clearly and fully contained in this book. And therefore all other things that might be referred thither, I shall rather satisfy myself to deduce and insist upon as they come in our way from thence. In order whereto, our first business must be to assert the authority of them. And for that purpose it is I have pitched upon this passage of Scripture, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." All Scripture is convevsos. It is only that one word that is said of it, God-breathed. All Scripture is (as it were) the breath of God. That indeed is the very literal sense of the word here used, breathed from God.

And so the words are a formed proposition to our hands, we need not vary them in any other phrase, but take them as they lie. Our business must be to assert, from them,

I. For the stating of the subject here spoken of, Scripture, with a universal term, "all Scripture;" that universal term cannot be absolutely universal, (as you may be sure,) cannot signify all writing. Every writing cannot be pretended to be God-breathed, or of divine inspiration; therefore the limitation of this universal term is to be taken from the immediately foregoing words, "From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures." It is therefore holy Scripture that is here spoken of. All holy Scripture, the whole of that which is called holy Scripture; it is of divine inspiration. Well, what is that, that is here called holy Scripture? Undoubtedly it must be that which in those days was immediately known by the name of the Scripture, and many times the Scriptures; nothing was more familiar with our Saviour, when he was conversant here on earth, than to speak of this book by the name of Scripture, and sometimes the Scriptures, as being so in the most famous and eminent sense, according to the ac count that went of that part of them, among the Jews, of whom he was one, and among whom he conversed. Every one knew none could be ignorant what was meant by the Scriptures at that time, or in those days: "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life," (saith our Saviour, John v. 39.) And this and that was done (as you often find in the evangelist historians) that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And the Scripture cannot be broken, saith our Lord, in one of his contests with the Jews, John x. 35. Now it is very evident here,

1. Therefore, by the Scriptures, that is, holy Scriptures, (as the apostle's words in this place do expound themselves,) must be meant the books of the Old Testament. That (I say) in the first place must be meant by it, which then by universal consent among that people, went under the name or notion of the Scriptures. That is, those books of the Old Testament which go with us at this day under that notion, and come into that censure and account, without the apocryphal books which never came into that account among the Jews, and therefore are justly left out of that account with us. They never took them. The ancient Christians did not take them into that account at all, not the Jews before our Saviour's time, or at any time: they were not written in the Hebrew tongue (unless some little parts) as the books of the Old Testament were; and have many things very fabulous in them, that show them to have proceeded from human authority; though divers of them (some of those books at least) proceeded from very pious writers. After that, the full compute of these books of the Old Testament was gathered up and digested by Ezra since the captivity. It was very plain the Jews never took any writing into the account of canonical Scriptures from the time they took in the prophecy of Malachi; never after that, did they add any thing to the sacred canon, and so much we find Josephus against Apion most expressly to tell us. And therefore the apocryphal writings could be none of the books that went under the name of the Scriptures here, when the apostle saith, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" nor indeed, did they come into that account in the Christian church in the purest times. The account that is given us of the Scriptures by Origen and Athanasius leaves these books quite excluded: though

Divine will; whether he did communicate it by voice, (as he did divers things we find upon record in Scripture,) or whether it was by dream, or by vision, to the penman, that is, asleep or waking; or whether it were (as the Jews distinguish) by immediate irradiation of the intellect, the understanding faculty; or whether it were by impression or signature upon the imagination or fancy, as a thing intervening between the Divine mind and the intellect: which way soever it was, the expression will reach it. It was of divine authority; it proceeded from him, be it one or the other of these ways. And in order to the evincing of this by argumentation, I shall briefly say somewhat to justify the undertaking, of proving the divine authority of these Scriptures by that argumentative way; and then shall proceed to the proof thereof, in that way which the case itself doth best admit of.

1. Something may be needful to be said to justify the undertaking to prove the divine authority of these writings, in a way of argumentation. In order to it, do but note these two things.

we have an account too in ancient records of some use made of them as certain ecclesiastical books, but not as the holy Scriptures; they were not accounted the holy books. That then is part of this subject here to be spoken of, when it is said, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," that is, the books of the Old Testament, which was the Scripture in the eminent sense at that time. But, 2. There comes within the compass of this subject too, the books of the New Testament. For we must consider, about what time this was written by the apostle to Timothy: this was the second epistle you see; and that was most certainly written a considerable time after the greatest part of the New Testament was written. You may take notice in the next chapter, (2 Tim. iv. 6.) that he speaks of the time of his departure being near at hand. He had once appeared before Nero already, and we are told that this was written near about the time of his appearance before Nero the second time: so we have it in the conclusion of this epistle, that is, in the adjunct to it. And though those subjoined adjuncts to the epistles are not always of (1.) That undoubtedly there can be no effectual believunquestionable authority, yet the matter of this epistle ing of the things contained in the Scriptures unto salvation, leading so much thereto, it puts this thing out of doubt without the special operation of the Divine Spirit. It is that this was written very near the close of the apostle's only the Spirit that makes the sanctifying impression of life; "I am ready to be offered," saith he, "and the time these Scriptures upon the soul. The apostle expresses his of my departure is at hand." Now it is evident that all great thankfulness to God, on the behalf of the Thessalothe Gospels were written a considerable time before this. nian churches, (2 Thess. ii. 13.) that "God had chosen The last of them, undoubtedly, was the Gospel of John, them to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and and that he is supposed to have wrote about the eighth belief of the truth." There is no sanctifying belief of that year of Nero, whereas the apostle suffered (as we are told truth but by the Divine Spirit; that is out of all question: by history) in the last year of Nero, about seven years af- "Sanctify them by the truth, thy word is truth," John terwards. So that in all likelihood this was the last, or the xvii. 17. "Do thou sanctify them by it: the sanctifying last save one, that he wrote of his epistles; Paul here them by this truth, or by the truth of this word of thine, speaking of the time of his departure as near at hand: and must be thine own work." There is that vicious prejuwe find that what was written by him, is elsewhere re-dice in the minds of men, against the design and tendency ferred to, under the name of Scripture: as by the apostle of all sacred truth and that power of corrupt inclination Peter, (2 Pet. iii. 15, 16.) where he speaks of his "beloved to comply and comport therewith, that it must be a great brother Paul" who had " many things in him hard to be power that must overcome; and none is great enough that understood, which," saith he, "ignorant and unstable is inferior to the power of the Almighty Spirit. It is by a minds wrest, as they do other scriptures, to their own de- certain spirit of faith in the soul that men do believe to the struction:" and we find the apostle James, in his 4th chap. saving of their souls. "We, having the same spirit of faith, 5th ver. refers, under the name of Scripture, to another believe and therefore speak." There is none can arrive to passage of his, " The spirit in us" (as saith the Scripture) this belief, a divine belief of the Scriptures, without the lusteth to envy." You find nothing any where to answer operation of that Spirit. This very notion, in general, that this but that Gal. v. 17. There, having spoken of envy, the Scriptures are the word of God, is a dead, and insipid, particularly before, he addeth, the flesh lusteth against and ineffectual thing: as all other notions of truth comthe spirit." And whatsoever was to come within that cha- prehended in that general are also. But, racter and sacred stamp must come within the compass of this subject too. The book of the revelation plainly shows it was written by the apostle John when he was in Patmos: and after his return from thence, history informs us, that upon the request of the Asiatic churches, he did collect and gather together and put into order all the books of the New Testament, and so (as it were) did seal up the canon. And a considerable time after that, we are informed of his taking a journey to - -on purpose to collect the Sacred Writings he found among the churches there, with whom he conversed: and he there found the books punctually as we have them, and in the same order wherein they now stand in our Bibles. And in the fourth century, they were all recognized by the council of the Laodiceans. Therefore at this time, when this epistle to Timothy was written, there must be understood to be a reference had to all the books of the New Testament already written, and any to be written by inspiration of the same Spirit. And so this makes up together the subject here spoken of, when it is said, "All Scripture," all holy Scripture, "is given by inspiration of God." All God-breathed, (as it were,) breathed from heaven, the issue of divine breath, for those great and glorious purposes that it was to serve in this world. And now,

II. We come to prove the thing affirmed concerning this subject that these Scriptures were inspired from heaven, by God himself, or are of divine authority; which is the import of this assertion, as to the way of God's communicating his mind to those that delivered them. The expression is large and extensive enough to comprehend any, wherein there might be a certain signification of the

a This is blank in the manuscript: and after examining every document to which he could gain access, the editor has not been able to ascertain the place

(2.) I must add, that the operations of the Divine Spirit are not necessary to bring men under an obligation, or to make it become their duty to believe the Scriptures to be God's word, or of divine authority: which therefore certainly doth infer, that there is a way of proving this by argument, that these Scriptures are of divine authority, so as to hold men under an obligation to believe them to be God's word; that it becomes their duty to believe them so, so that they are culpable if they do not, if that light that may shine into them that way about this matter be not received and comported with accordingly. And to evidence this briefly to you, do but consider these things:

[1] If there be not enough to be said by way of argument to prove the divine authority of this sacred book, without the special immediate operation of the Divine Spirit, then every one that hath not the operation of the Divine Spirit, would be innocently an unbeliever under the Gospel. Then it would be an innocent thing to be an infidel under the Gospel, notwithstanding the clearest light that can be supposed to shine amongst us, supposing only the absence of the special influence of the Divine Spirit: and then the mere retraction or withholding of that influence, would be enough to justify the infidel, and to make him therefore not guilty of a crime in his infidelity, barely because he hath not that Spirit; than which, nothing can be supposed more absurd or more prejudicial to the Christian cause and interest.

[2] This is to be considered too, (to the same purpose,) that if the special operations of the Spirit were necessary to make it become a man's duty to believe these Scrip

alluded to, nor the authority on which the author states this circumstance. The fact, it must be admitted, is extremely doubtful.

tures to be the word of God, then they must be necessary | did not strictly hold to it, but varied from it commonly, in reference to every particular thing which he shall be making a third member which we find no mention made bound to believe. But you know, the whole is made up of in the evangelists, or the writings of the New Testaof all the parts: and when we speak especially of the ne-ment,) that is, the division of the books of the Old Testacessary parts, it is plain, that if the operation of the Holy ment into those of Moses and the prophets. The Jews inGhost be necessary to make it a man's duty to believe deed made the Hagiographia, or third class, that is, acthese Scriptures, it must be necessary in order to his be- counting none prophetic, but those which were sent by lieving every more principal part, every sentence that doth special mission from God. And so all those books (bemore immediately and directly concern the salvation of sides the five books of Moses, and those written by Isaiah, his soul; and then upon that supposition, every person that Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the minor prophets) they called should be under an obligation to believe these Scriptures Hagiographia, that is, other holy writings, sacred writings; to be the word of God, must himself be an inspired person such as the historical parts of Scripture, the books of Job, or a prophet. And then, this would be the consequence, Proverbs, Canticles, Ecclesiastes, and the like. But our that these Scriptures would be of no use at all, one way or Saviour comprehends all under the name of the law and another; not to them that have the Spirit of faith to ena- the prophets, or sometimes, Moses and the prophets; ble them to believe them; because every thing that is con- (Matt. xxii. 40.) "On these two hang all the law and the tained in them, and necessary for the end for which they prophets:" and that other place, (Luke xvi. 29.) "They are written, must be supposed to be suggested and dicta- have Moses and the prophets." Now take here the books ted to them by that Spirit, and therefore the believer would of Moses first, and there can be no doubt at all but he was have no need of the Scripture; and to the unbeliever they an inspired person, and that his books were written by would be of no use at all, because while the Spirit doth not very peculiar inspiration. If you do but admit the truth give his influence to make them believe, they (upon this of the historical relation, as to him, and that people he had supposition) never could believe. And therefore, conse- the conduct of, I say, supposing that there can be no doubt quently, the Scriptures would be of no use, do no good, of his having written those books by special inspiration of either to believer or unbeliever. And therefore, as I have God, for (admitting the truth of the history) you find how asserted in the first place, that there can be no effectual familiarly conversant he was with God, from time to time; believing of these Scriptures unto salvation, without the that he did nothing of any concernment in reference to sanctifying influence of the Divine Spirit, so I further do that people, but always by divine monition. Nothing then assert, that such an influence of the Divine Spirit, is not is more unsupposable than that he should do so great a necessary to make it become a man's duty to believe these thing as this, digest such records, and stamp them with Scriptures; but it will be his duty to believe them upon the name of sacred and divine, and call them the word of such light about this matter, as may in an argumentative the Lord, and the law of the Lord; and all this, without way be supplied and furnished unto any that will make it special instinct from God. Do but think how manifest and their business attentively to consider. And now, observable and adorable a Divine presence showed him2. In the second place, I shall proceed to tell you in self to that person. How peculiarly God took him nigh what way this proof must be attempted and undertaken, to himself, sustained him forty days and forty nights togethat is, inasmuch as the subject here, Scripture, all Scrip-ther, (whether once or twice I will not here dispute,) in ture, is so complete as you have heard; that is, is made the sacred mount, by miracle; supporting him by his own up of the books of the Old Testament and the New. The glory, speaking to him from time to time, giving him free method that is reasonable to be taken, is to endeavour to recourse to him, directing him to consult him, and take evince these two things to you,-that there were Scrip- his responses from him, upon all occasions. And that the tures in our Saviour's and the apostles' time, and many history that relates to him, as to the matter of fact, must of them a great while before, which were certainly of di- be true beyond all exception, is evident if you consider vine authority: and-that the books which we now have such things as these ; among us, in our time and in our hands, are the self-same books, in substance, (without any material corruption or alteration,) that those were, which went for the holy Scriptures, of divine authority at that time. These are the two things that are to be evinced and made out to you, and with such evidence as may leave little ground or pretence of cavil to the understanding and honest Christian: which I doubt not (through the blessing of God) may be

done.

LECTURE VIII.*

(1.) Now to prove that these books in the days of our Saviour and his apostles, even unto the last of them, went into the account of those Scriptures that were of divine authority; and within this compass must come the books of the Old and New Testament; we shall give some considerations in reference to this; and shall afterwards, in the close of all, (having spoken to the latter proposition too,) give you some additional considerations concerning this book as now we find it.

[1] For the divine authority of the books of the Old Testament, I shall not trouble you here with the various divisions that the Jews made of these books. And here whereas they reckon no more of them than there were letters of their alphabet, two and twenty, which most apparently excludes the apocryphal books. It would be tedious and trifling to trouble you with the account how they did severally refer all those to the several letters; only it is plain that the minor prophets they made all but one book. But this division only will serve our turn, (though they

* Preached January 16th, 1691.

First, The very honourable mention that is made of this Moses, and some of the most remarkable things relating to that people (the Jews) whom he had the conduct of, by some of the most ancient and celebrated pagan writers, magnifying him as a most wise and prudent legislator, and a very great man; and remarking very considerable things with reference to this people. I need not trouble you with them; it is known to scholars, what of this kind is written by Diodorus Siculus and others. And,

Secondly, That which is above all demonstration: it is notorious to all the world that the people of the Jews were under the government of a Theocracy for several centuries of years successively, which puts the matter out of all doubt, that the history of that fact must be unquestionable upon which they became so. They were continually directed by God himself; their laws were made by God himself. He appointed the means of being consulted in every place, and it was through a long-continued series of time; and so these records in all that time were known to be sacred things, having a divine stamp all along upon them. And again,

Thirdly, It is to be considered that the very matter of the history itself (considered in its circumstances) doth speak its own truth; considered, I say, in its circumstances, that is, the bringing of the people of Israel out of Egypt, and bringing them out by so strong a hand, inflicting so many miraculous plagues upon that Egyptian people, and their prince, till they were forced to a manumission of them; the dividing of the Red Sea, the most stupendous way of giving the law upon mount Sinai, which (with the additional precepts that were given to Moses in the mount itself) make up (you know) the most considerable parts of the Pentateuch. The very matter of itself speaks, (if you consider it clothed with its circumstances,) that there could be no fiction as to these things!

What is the New Testament, but a commentary upon the Old: it is an application of the religion of the Old Testament. The Old was nothing but a veiled Gospel. The New is nothing else but the same Gospel unveiled. And again,

It is plain, that our Lord himself doth frequently and expressly confirm to us the whole Old Testament, taken together under the name of Scripture, or the Scriptures, Moses and the prophets, and the law and the prophets. As when he saith, "I am not come to destroy the law; no, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil ;" (Matt. v. 17.) and in the next verse, "Heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or one tittle of the law pass"-so that he hath confirmed the whole Old Testament to a tittle, to a very tittle, not one tittle but is sacred, it cannot be lost, cannot pass away, it is a more stable thing than heaven itself, and therefore now,

for there is nobody but must grant, upon an ordinary view and judgment of those characters that do appear of Moses, that he was a prudent man at least, a very prudent man. But certainly he must needs be a madman that would report a fiction of things said to be done by, and before, six hundred thousand men. When men do feign and forge things, they do it with the greatest privacy imaginable. As the portentous stories about Mahomet, there are no witnesses quoted, but all goes upon the credit of his word. It is not said, there were such and such thousands that saw such and such things, for then, if it were false, it were the easiest thing in the world to be disproved. Now when the law is said to be given from such a mount, clothed with so terrible and august a glory at that time, and the voice heard uttering these ten words, as they are called, by six hundred thousand men, at once, besides women and children, (for these words are said to be heard spoken from the mount, by all the people; whereupon they [2.] We pass to the books of the New Testament. And could not bear that God should speak to them any longer. how will it appear that there were such books written by "We die," say they to Moses, "if God speak to us any divine inspiration, so as we ought to reckon the authority more, but do thou speak and we will hear,") no man that of them is stampt thereon by God himself? Why, hath but the ordinary understanding of a man, can think, First, Much of what we find in these writings was dethat one of common prudence would inform of things that livered by our Lord himself. The most material things he saith were done in view of so many thousands of wit-contained in the Gospels, that is, the doctrinal parts, nesses, if they were not done; if there were any design in were his own words still from time to time, upon all saying so, that design were presently blasted, and lost out occasions. of hand; especially if it be considered that among those ten words there are so express precepts against idolatry; and that people had so marvellous propensions to idolatry, as their frequent relapses into it, and their running into it, even in Moses' absence, when God ceased to speak with an audible voice, do testify. It had given them the most gladsome opportunity they could have wished for, could they have detected a fraud in the case. When it is said there were such and such, and so many thousand witnesses, they could have said, there was no such thing. Could not this have been transmitted to posterity for a notorious cheat, by a people so prone to idolatry as they were? And when they were urged by the prophets (in a time of great degeneracy) with the authority of the divine law, how easily could they have replied, "No, there was no such law, it was a fiction; and what is said to be given by God's voice, and our fathers are said to be quoted as witnesses to, they all renounced it, said there was no such thing!" And then,

Fourthly, That holy men succeeding this time, (and unto whose inspiration it hath been sufficiently attested, as we shall see afterwards,) did attest unto Moses, still calling that law written by him, the law of the Lord, and the word of the Lord, and the testimonies and statutes of the Lord. With what reverence and with what delight and complacency do you find them so mentioned in the book of Psalms, in multitudes of places, when there was little else of Scripture yet extant, besides those books of Moses! Would such a man as David with adoration have called these writings, the law of the Lord, and the word, and statutes, and judgments, and testimonies of the Lord, if they had not been most certainly so? And would he have expressed so high delight in them, and veneration for them as such, counting them more precious than thousands of gold and silver, and expressing the heart-breakings and longings of his soul after them from time to time upon all occasions? And then, for what was written by him (David) and other holy men, (besides the prophets,) though it is not known who wrote every book, yet there is no doubt but all may (as our Saviour did design they should) be comprehended under the name of the prophets; Moses and the prophets. And for the prophets, that they were reckoned prophets speaks their inspiration; the distinguishing character of true prophets and false, being so well known among that people. And for the things themselves that they prophesied, the accomplished events did from time to time prove the inspiration of the prophets.

But then take the whole Old Testament together, and that hath received its confirmation abundantly from the New? so that if the New can be proved to be of divine authority, all our business is done, the matter is out of question. The whole Old Testament, it is most expressly owned and proved by the New. For,

Secondly, It is very plain that he did inspire his apostles, that were to be witnesses of him, and whose business it must be to be planters and propagators of the Christian faith afterwards in the world. He did purposely inspire and direct and authorize them to publish those very things that make up the substance of those books; and therefore, no doubt, did direct them to write those very books themselves; for who can suppose, he having a design that the Christian religion should obtain and take place in all succeeding times to the end of time, but that he should intend that it should be wrote, it should be put into writing; and therefore when he laid that charge upon his apostles, upon whom he breathed at parting, or a little before, saying "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," and to whom he gave this charge, "Go and teach all nations this doctrine;" certainly within the compass of that charge must be comprehended the charge of writing these things, as one means of publishing them to all nations, and so necessary a means, as that all besides (as to succeeding ages) must be ineffectual. And then,

Thirdly, For the authority of what was contained in these books, or the divinity thereof, he did endow those he made use of, as his apostles and first planters of the Christian faith after him, (even their very inspiration itself, their very mission, as well as the several parts of that message upon which they were sent,) with a power of working stupendous miraculous works; that it might be seen by all men, that a Divine power did attest to divine truth, as it was published by those men. And upon this you find that mighty stress laid, that these first propagators of the Christian faith "preached the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." And the same Holy Ghost that did assist in preaching, did prompt too, to write the whole New Testament. And that it was the Holy Ghost that did actuate them in all this, was shown by that power of working miraculous works, which God gave at the same time; because the Holy Ghost is entitled to those works by our Saviour himself, saying, "If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come unto you," then is that religion true, and it is the kingdom of God that I am here setting up among you, and hereupon is that great weight laid upon this matter, (Heb. ii. 2, 3, 4.)" If the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation: which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?" This was the divine seal, the seal of heaven affixed to these writings and what was contained in them; that is, that when men should come abroad upon such an errand, into strange countries and other nations besides their own, and speak

that one single prophecy, so punctually accomplished by the coming of our Lord; and his being cut off at such a time as the prophecy did say concerning the coming of the Messiah, the Prince, and that he was to be cut off at such a time. Well, upon all this there is little doubt to be made as to the first proposition, that is,-that those books that went under the name of Scripture, or the Scriptures, in our Saviour's and the apostles' time, to the last survivor of them, were certainly of divine authority.

things that such and such people had never heard of before, hereupon, suppose it should be inquired of them, "What shall induce us to believe, that what you say is true and comes from God?" Why, immediately they do such and such works that could only be done by Divine power, and so they testify to men, that this was a divine truth that they uttered to them. They preached such a Gospel, and at the same time they healed the sick, by the speaking of a word, and sometimes raised the dead to life; as our Saviour himself did, who had so confirmed the (2.) But now to the second proposition-that this book truth before, by that and other most wonderful things that that we have now in our hands, containing such and such referred to his own person, by his death especially, and by writings in it, is the same, or those Scriptures are the very his resurrection. Here was the greatest question among same that were so owned and acknowledged for the Scripthe Jews; he gave himself out to be the Christ, the Mes- ture, in those days. It may be said, and no doubt will be, siah, the Son of God; all the question was, "Is this the by any that shall consider, that if this be out of question, Christ, or is he a deceiver or impostor ?" He must be one the whole business is out of question; for nobody can of the two; either the Christ as he said he was, or one of think, if all that hath been said be true, about these books the most notorious impostors that ever was upon the face of the Old and New Testament, (said to be extant together of the earth: all the dispute rested upon this one thing; at least within the time of the evangelist John,) as to mat"Whereas, he gave himself out to be the Son of God, is heter of fact, as was reported, but these books must unquesthe Son of God or no?" The means by which many were tionably be of divine authority. But how should we do to wrought upon before his death, to believe in him, were his know that we have the matter of fact rightly deduced and most miraculous works; but I say they were but the means; drawn down to us, and so that we have reason to believe and to bring any effectually to believe in Christ, there the books that we now have are the same? If we could be must be something more than external means. When he sure they are the same, it would be unquestionable; now preached to the multitude, he confirmed his word, some- as to that, there is one thing that I must premise to you, times by feeding thousands by very unproportionable and it carries its own evidence with it. That is, that that means; by healing the sick, by opening the ears of the deaf knowledge that men may have of any thing by oridnary and the eyes of the blind, loosening the tongues of the means, we are never to expect should be given us by exdumb, and raising up the dead to life and the like; and traordinary. Pray do but take this, and weigh it well, as when at length he came to die, you know with what cir- a thing needful here to be forelaid. Whatsoever may be cumstances his death was accompanied; all the powers of sufficiently evidenced by ordinary means, it is very unheaven and earth were shaken, the sun withdrew his head, reasonable to expect, that God should afford extraordinary the veil of the temple was rent, the dead arose; and a poor means for the evidencing of that thing. If you do but obpagan centurion, (who was appointed to guard the execu- serve the constancy of his methods of government, over tion,) upon the sight of these things gives up the cause; this world, how sparing he hath been of doing extraor "Verily this was the Son of God, I see he was in the right, dinary things, that ought to come by just account into the the Jews persecuted him wrongfully," (for here was the class of miracles, of miraculous works, you would see, that question between them, Was he the Son of God or no?) the Divine wisdom and power have been always very spaThey crucified him for a blasphemer, in saying he was ring of doing such things, unless where the exigency of the the Son of God, which they denied him to be, but now I see case did require it, and where the end was not otherwise he was the Son of God." And he was afterwards "declared attainable. But it is foolish, to think that the wisdom of to be the Son of God with power, by the Spirit of holiness God and the power of God should be exerted upon no by which he was raised from the dead." Now his apostles necessity. What is it for? only to please curiosity? That going forth, in the authority of this Divine person, to tes-which is done not to answer necessity, can only be suptify nothing but what they saw with their eyes, and what posed to be done to please and gratify curiosity. Now to they heard with their ears, and being appointed by him to think that the wisdom of God should make infinite power, be witnesses of what they saw and heard, and to preach ever and anon, to stoop to do miraculous works, only to the doctrine which he had preached and delivered to them please and gratify a vain and curious humour, without any before; and they themselves working so miraculous works need, this were the most unworthy of God of any thing we to prove the truth of what he did assert; this proves the could suppose: and therefore, this is never to be looked matter out of all question, that what was written concern- for. If then there be sufficient ordinary means to beget a ing all this, must be by divine inspiration. And further too, certainty concerning this, it would be a very foolish thing Fourthly, It manifestly appears how the prophecies of to expect that miracles should be wrought to prove it to us the Old Testament (the greatest and most important of at this day, that these books we now have are, for subthem) did receive their confirmation that they were divine, stance, the same that those were which were owned for by the events that fell out in the time wherein the books of divine in Christ's and the apostles' days. For if any one the New Testament were written, and which came to be would assert, that it was needful a miracle should be reflected on afterwards, by the wisest and most consider- wrought to this purpose, to assure us that these books ing, the ablest and most competent, judges the world had were the same they were in former times; I would know in those days. Many of them were hereupon converted to who it is that should have opportunity of seeing this mithe Christian faith; and some others that were not so, racle? Must every one that should be obliged to believe merely as wanting that opportunity to be informed of mat- these books to be the same, see such a miracle wrought ters of fact which the others had had, who yet did acknow- himself? That were to make miracles more necessary than ledge the convictiveness of the Mediator; as for instance, ever they were; for even in Christ's and his apostles' days. those prophecies concerning Christ, and that one express it was never thought necessary that every person should one, among the rest, of Daniel, about the seventy weeks; have the sight of a miracle himself, but it was enough that that great pagan, (and one of the most considerable ene-it was notoriously known that such and such miracles mies for reason and learning that ever the Christian cause were done. But if it were not thought necessary in Christ's had in the world) Porphyry, having opportunity to view and his apostles' days, that miracles should be wrought in over this prophecy, said it must needs have been written the sight of every person, that every one for his own satisafter the event, it was so very punctual. So that he only faction should have the sight of such a miracle himself, wanted an opportunity to know, that this prophecy had then the testimony of such persons must be relied upon in been written above five hundred years before his time, and this case, as it would be supposed could have no inclinawas four hundred and twenty years before its accomplish- tion or design to deceive others, by misrepresenting things ment in the hands of the Jews, and kept so safe that it was to them: and that is such a testimony as upon which all impossible to be a fallacious thing. And therefore, that matters among men do depend. "It is said in your law, being his case, (he being a heathen and not a Jew, and not (saith our Saviour to the Jews,) the testimony of two withaving opportunity to know,) that must (by his own con- nesses is true;" that is, is credible, is not to be doubted: fession) be the only reason of his not being a believer, upon the whole frame of government depends upon witnesses.